Just days after Axar Patel expressed his dislike of the impact player rule, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill has raised some concerns about the sub-rule ahead of the IPL 2026 season.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India introduced the Impact Player rule in 2023, which has sparked arguments within the cricketing fraternity.

According to the rules, teams are permitted to use one out of four available substitutes who become active players during the match. This substitution occurs before the 14th over of each innings and allows the substitute to complete their batting and bowling responsibilities.

Shubman Gill explained his opinion about impact players during the press conference because he believes teams do not need to use them.

He explained that bringing in an additional player decreases the required skills to compete while making the match less dynamic.

“Personally, I don’t think there should be an impact player. Cricket in general is an 11-player game. On wickets and grounds that we play, I think an extra batsman takes the skill out of the game,” said Shubman Gill.

“With that one extra player, it is making the game more one-dimensional. It’s going to be there till 2027, and it is what we spoke about in the captains’ meet,” added Gill.

Meanwhile, several top players have also condemned the rule during the past three seasons. Recently, Axar Patel has also said, “I don’t like this rule as I am all rounder myself (laughs). Earlier, we used to pick all-rounders for this role (batting and bowling).

“Now, since the team management goes with a particular batter or bowler, the role of an all-rounder becomes subdued. Rules are rules, and we have to follow them, but personally, I don’t like it,” added Axar Patel.

The Impact Rule will remain active till 2027, which marks the completion of its five-year period. The BCCI intends to evaluate the situation during the IPL 2026 captains’ meeting, which states that no immediate changes will happen.

The rule changes have affected the way teams prepare for their matches according to tactical considerations.

Teams use an extra batter to start matches and later replace him with a specialist bowler or vice versa. The system provides teams with multiple options, but it has diminished the value of all-rounder who now have decreased playing time.